A below par performance from Leicester proved just enough to see the Heineken Cup holders qualify for the last eight of the competition.

With the suspended Austin Healey missing, Tigers boss Dean Richards was forced to bring on the big guns in the second half as Calvisano rallied.

Leicester were 17-0 ahead after just 19 minutes but then ran out of steam in the muddy conditions at Welford Road.

Full-back Murphy opened the scoring on seven minutes after Martin Johnson and Rod Kafer had worked the ball out wide.

Six minutes later, Ollie Smith sent left winger Steve Booth over from a scrum, and Smith then grabbed the third after good work from Murphy.

Fly-half Andy Goode was struggling with his kicking but finally converted at the third attempt, and all seemed to be going well for the English side.

But they failed to score again before the break and saw two tries disallowed at the start of the second half.

Leon Lloyd ran into a team-mate before crossing the line, and Steve Booth was adjudged offside from Goode's kick to the corner.

When Calvisano fly-half Laurent Bordes exploited a gap in the Tigers defence for a try midway through the second half, a shock seemed possible.

Leicester: Murphy, Booth, Lloyd, Kafer, Smith, Goode, J. Hamilton, Freshwater, Cockerill, Garforth, M. Johnson, Deacon, Gustard, Kronfeld, Corry.
Replacements: West, Rowntree, Kay, Moody, Ellis, Gelderbloom, Back.

Calvisano: Ravazzolo, Bignotti, Arboit, Zanoletti, Zitelli, Bordes, Dragotto, Bocca, Moretti, Castrogiovanni, Whitley, Lanzi, Scotuzzi, Mayerhofler, De Rossi.
Replacements: Davo, Mazino, Mastrodomenico, Letinic, Griffen, Scanziani, Gabba.

Referee: Gerard Borreani (France).